It’s not all that often that both the AP and Coaches’ polls agree on the top five teams in America this late in the college basketball season. However, in the latest editions of both polls, the top fives are similar: the No. 1 squad in America is the Kentucky Wildcats, the only other undefeated team in the country—the Virginia Cavaliers—are sitting at No. 2 and Gonzaga, Duke and Wisconsin round out the top five.

While next week’s top-fives will be different because the Blue Devils and the Cavaliers will face off at UVA on Saturday, here is how this week’s AP Poll shakes out, from ESPN:

The Badgers return four starters from last year’s Final Four team and have not disappointed in the first chapter of the season. They have the types of wins that the committee will like come March, with impressive victories against Marquette, Georgetown and most recently Cal.

“But right now I think it’s kind of the first part of the season, the non-conference season, and we’re pretty happy with where we are. But the real season is about to come up,” senior guard John Gasser said. “We’ve got to put everything behind us but learn from what we have done. Take the good, learn from the bad, and really focus up on what is to come.”

And their one loss was a quality one, at home against Duke.

The rest of the Big Ten is in a period of transition—gone are familiar faces such as Aaron Craft, Roy Devyn Marble, Nik Stauskas and Adreian Payne and in are new stars James Blackmon Jr, Melo Trimble and D’Angelo Russell. That trio represents three of the seven McDonald’s All-Americans that are spread out among the Big Ten teams.

If these young’ins mature quickly, this could be a fun ride for the conference this year.

Offensive efficiency is down across Division I basketball but no place has been hit harder than Michigan. Some regression was to be expected as the Wolverines and Spartans produced four of the five Big Ten players selected in the first 21 picks of the NBA Draft, but neither John Beilein or Tom Izzo could have predicted this.

Michigan’s offense was at the pinnacle leading the nation a year ago at over 124 points per 100 possessions. This year, they’re down a staggering 21 points, standing 94th best at just over 103 points per 100 possessions.

Michigan State is down nearly nine points. Others have struggled as well; Iowa is down nearly 17 points per game in scoring offense.

The membership hasn’t held home court up to its standards, falling in “guarantee games” to the “have nots” of Division I college athletics; Gardner Webb, North Florida Eastern Michigan, Eastern Washington, NJIT, St. Peters, St. Francis of Pennsylvania, Texas Southern, Central Michigan and Incarnate Word.

“Gimme” games are predominantly home court blowouts against teams that desperately need the guarantee money to support the budget of the program. There are no slam dunks on the road in February at places such as Minneapolis, Happy Valley or at the RAC at Rutgers. Enter in additional travel to the Eastern Seaboard to play at Maryland or Rutgers and suddenly the Big Ten slate looks to be as unpredictable as ever before with teams having a very slam margin for error.

A chock-full of talented guards will make every night entertaining in the concference. The league is stacked with backcourt talent.

It is young talent, but talent nonetheless.

One team to watch will be Michigan State, a program that must replace last year’s backcourt of Gary Harris and Keith Appling with bigger contributions from Denzel Valentine, Travis Trice and Cleveland State import, and marksman, Bryn Forbes. It may take longer than anticipated but trust in Tom. Tom Izzo will find a way to get the Spartans playing their best basketball for Big Ten play and another NCAA tournament trip.

But even Michigan State had a bad one, losing to lowly Texas Southern last weekend.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll just say that’s a better team than some we’ve played, a lot better. They execute. They run their stuff well. They’re very well coached,” Izzo said. “Our guys were impressed. I thought he did a great job with them. They looked like they tired a bit in the second half.”

And Izzo’s words sum up the conference this year as there will be plenty of tough losses and the ability to bounce back will be needed. If these teams can continue to grow and mature, then they can send several representatives to the Sweet 16.

But as the conference got very young and inexperienced over the span of a season, that maturing process must happen sooner rather than later if the Big Ten wants to be a big player this spring.

With preseason exhibitions games slated to begin this weekend, the very first AP Top 25 Poll of the season was released on Friday. The Kentucky Wildcats, who return most of their core aside from Julius Randle and James Young, and who feature another star-studded freshmen class that includes Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis, sit atop of the rankings. The Arizona Wildcats come in at the no. 2 spot, with Wisconsin following in third. Duke and Kansas round up the top-5.

The USA Today’s Coaches Poll also has Kentucky and Arizona as the top-2, but instead has Duke’s mega-freshmen squad in the third slot, followed by Wisconsin and Kansas.

Until last season, hardly anyone knew. The 7-0 center had started a grand total of two basketball games for the University of Wisconsin as a freshman and sophomore. But last year he exploded onto the national scene: His 28-point, 11-rebound effort helped Wisconsin beat No. 1 seed Arizona, and Kaminsky was named MVP of an NCAA regional after lifting his Badgers into the Final Four.

No player in America has improved as dramatically in the last few years. The under-recruited Kaminsky, who hails from the southwest suburbs of Chicago, is poised to be a first-round pick in 2015 and will be perhaps America’s best senior big man. How Kaminsky went from a 14-ppg high school scorer at academically focused Benet Academy to one of college basketball’s most coveted players is a compelling story that begins with Kaminsky’s own father, Frank Kaminsky II.

The second Frank Kaminsky may be the best 7-footer you’ve never heard of, but he was just 6-6 in 1972 when he graduated from St. Rita High School on Chicago’s gritty south side. Dad was from the Bridgeport neighborhood, best known as the home of the Chicago White Sox and another father/son duo, Mayors Richard J. and Richard M. Daley. Bridgeport is a hotbed for, of all things, 16-inch softball, a unique Chicago institution. Played with no mitts, 16-inch is a game of craft, guile, deception and skill. It’s still the city’s most popular participant sport for men.

For the elder Frank Kaminsky, being a competent softballer gave him more street cred in Bridgeport than being good in basketball. And this showed in Dad’s hoops game for a while: He played like a guy who considered basketball his second sport. (His own father, the first Frank Kaminsky, had been a decent amateur boxer, but basketball wasn’t a priority for him, either.) Every major college passed on Frank Kaminsky II, but tiny Lewis University near Joliet finally convinced him to travel the half-hour southwest to play.

Dad was just another small college player—at first. But something important happened: Frank Kaminsky II quit basketball. He took a year off from the team and discovered he truly missed the game. Also, all that 16-inch softball in his Bridgeport neighborhood was beginning to transfer over; he had tremendous hand-eye coordination, which he was able to use to improving his ballhandling and long-range shooting.

The problem?

Virtually everyone still hollered the standard advice for big men at the time: “Get under the basket!”

This, of course, was more than a decade before the three-point shot became part of the college game. And it was years before mind-expanding European players like Dirk Nowitzki and Toni Kukoc would force American coaches to re-think the game.

Simply put, the elder Frank Kaminsky was a pioneer who was decades ahead of his time—and one who developed into a great player late. He’d already missed out on a big time scholarship, and he wouldn’t peak until he was in his 30s (although he did become one of the best players ever at Lewis University).

But Dad kept playing, and the fact was that he was nearly always the most skilled player on the floor. There was summer ball at the Martin Luther King Jr Boys Club. And men’s leagues at Margate Park. Going head-to-head with pros like Sonny Parker and Mickey Johnson and holding his own.

In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the market for Americans in Europe was limited. Still, Dad played in South America briefly, and he had a great CBA season as a 33-year-old rookie. But both the CBA and overseas money was pretty modest, and he could make more with a sales job in Chicago. By then Kaminsky II was in his mid-30s and the chance to make big money playing ball was behind him—but, again, he was not too old to keep improving.

After the three-point shot was adapted by the NCAA in 1986, Dad really got rolling, traveling each fall with the AAU Marathon Oil team. (Once a fixture on the college exhibition game circuit, Marathon Oil went 24-1 with an all-DI schedule one fall with Kaminsky in the middle—when he wasn’t roaming around the perimeter.) And again, back to summer ball: Anyone who knew the Chicago summer league and Pro-Am scene in the 1970s, ’80s and even into the ’90s, respected Frank Kaminsky—as long as they could accept a 7-footer shooting three-pointers.

Later, Dad went back to his small college roots and had a fantastic run as the women’s coach at Saint Francis University in Joliet.

Does Dad have regrets? He’s as upfront and no-nonsense as his old Bridgeport neighborhood: “Here’s how I always looked at it. I never played basketball for money—I did it because I loved to play. And that’s why I continued to play for many years, and still play.” (The father is so disinterested in the commercial aspects of basketball and self-promotion that he couldn’t find a single photo of himself as a player when we asked.)

Got it? Dad was unusually skilled for a big man and a very late bloomer who loved the game more than money.

***

When the son, Frank Kaminsky III, was headed into his senior year of high school in the fall of 2011, he was very thin. While not a brawler, he was tough-minded and mentally mature; he’d spent much of his childhood listening to his father’s stories about South Chicago toughness, practice habits and loving the game. The younger Kaminsky remembers it all vividly.

“From just about the time I could walk,” he says, “I was in lay-up lines for warm ups with my father’s teams. He played all the time and everywhere! I’d pull out one of his jerseys from his bag and put it on and warm up with his team. Once the game started, I watched my dad really closely. I saw how smart and effective he was, being the oldest guy out there most of the time. I just tried to copy as much from his game as I could.”

The younger Kaminsky says he was lucky to adopt a wide variety of offensive skills early. “I learned how to play away from the basket first, and that’s always felt comfortable. I was less concerned about what position I played than with getting as much skill development as I could. My dad showed me that how to play is more important than running plays.”

The youngest Kaminsky had aunts, uncles and sisters who’d excelled in Division I sports, yet he wasn’t at all sure that he’d play big-time basketball. As a junior he’d been averaging in the low double figures at Benet Academy in Lisle, IL, a school until recently known more for its fine academics than its athletics.

His high school coach at Benet, Gene Heidkamp, gave the youngest Kaminsky the freedom to shoot open threes and even bring the ball up against the press. Heidkamp says, “Frank’s development was unusual because he was a very skilled perimeter player before he learned to play in the post. For nearly every other big guy, the opposite is true.”

Before his senior year, local colleges like Loyola, DePaul, Northwestern and Northern Illinois showed interest in Frank III. “For a while,” the younger Kaminsky recalls, “it seemed I’d wind up at a smaller Division I school, and that would have been fine, so I didn’t worry. Then Wisconsin came along and I could tell they were serious.”

His father says, “I knew what I wanted for my son when I met [Wisconsin coach] Bo Ryan. He was ‘Old School,’ and you should capitalize that. Bo Ryan was about more than just ball; he was a genuine old-school coach. Very few guys are going to make money, but all the kids who go through the program are prepared for life. To me? That’s a coach.”

And Frank Kaminsky III wasn’t exactly the sleeper he’s being made out to be today, Heidkamp insists. Benet went 55-5 during Kaminsky’s last two seasons and never lost a conference game. “But he committed very early, during the summer, and that ended it,” Heidkamp says. “Had he waited, things would have blown up. But he was an incredibly smart kid, and he’d studied Wisconsin and their style of play and he knew he’d be a good fit.”

Yet even after Frank Kaminsky III verbally committed to Wisconsin, the phone kept ringing. Dad ignored the calls after they’d committed, though. “We gave our word,” he says. “That’s the South Side way. You honor your word.”

***

Ryan claims that the meteoric rise of Frank Kaminsky III wasn’t a shock to him. “Frank played behind a very good player his first two seasons, Jared Berggren, who became our all-time leader in blocked shots,” the coach says. “Besides, he was proving every day in practice that he could shoot threes and play on the perimeter, that was obvious.”

Still, Kaminsky’s high school coach thinks that it’s the young man’s improvement near the basket that has truly completed his game. “Now who can match up with him? What big guys are that versatile?” Gene Heidkamp says.

Kaminsky inherited his father’s passion for basketball, which includes a willingness to work relentlessly on his offensive game. Ryan sensed that early on. “Frank is smart and he loves to play basketball,” he says. “That’s the main thing I want, for the game to be a passion for my players.”

That passion paid off this past year. Kaminsky set a Wisconsin single-game record with 43 points against North Dakota, including 6-6 from behind the arc. Nobody was urging him to go back under the hoop during that game.

Kaminsky is also a deft passer with outstanding court vision, and he handles the ball well in the open floor with either hand. “All the things I got criticized for,” Dad says today, “my son now does pretty well for Wisconsin.”

Kaminsky surprised the basketball world this past spring, if not his coaches—not just with the deep NCAA run he led Wisconsin on, but also with his post-season comments about staying in college for another year. He was having fun, the time of his life he said. The NBA could wait. “I think we’ll be good next year, really good,” he says. “Plus how could I put a price tag on my last year in college? I’m big on loyalty—I got that from my dad. Leaving Wisconsin just didn’t feel right.”

Kaminsky is still a kid— he turned 21 on April 4. His upside is astronomical—he’s highly skilled, team-oriented and mentally tough—and he’s peaking at a much younger age than his father. But unlike his dad, he doesn’t have coaches, teammates and fans imploring him to get under the basket every time he squares up from beyond the arc.

Wisconsin will take another shot at the NCAA title this year, and they’ll have Frank Kaminsky III in the middle—when he isn’t roaming around the perimeter.

The point is, he has postponed the NBA, said he’s coming back, and Wisconsin will be tough. Frank Kaminsky gave his word.

Die-hard hoop heads endure an agonizing wait during September and October for seasons to tip off—biding their leisure time with distractions ranging from watching post-season baseball, football or binging on TV series on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon streaming (I’m not judging).

With college basketball practices officially underway, and Midnight Madness’ right around the corner, another niche group of people’s wait has ended.

Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, Georgia Tech’s Travis Jorgenson and Marquette’s Duane Wilson all set foot on their respective campuses last year as heralded true freshmen point guards. But all three went through seasons unlike any they’ve ever had in their past and hope this is the year they can begin to introduce themselves to the rest of the country.

The 6-4 Koenig gave the nation a brief glimpse of his talent during the Badgers’ 74-73 loss to Kentucky in the Final Four, by scoring all 11 of his points in the first half to help Wisconsin take a 40-36 lead into the break.

“When I first came in I was pretty nervous, but the first play I was in Trae [Jackson] got it to me upcourt, and I got a layup,” Koenig said. “That got my confidence going, and I think something kind of came over me and I felt really comfortable. I feel like I really came alive during the Tournament.”

Koenig averaged 15.5 minutes last year, but only averaged 3.5 points and 1.1 assists per game. Having started on basically every team he had ever played for, sans an AAU squad when he played up two age levels prior to coming to Madtown, the transition to a reserve role came with challenges.

“Coming in obviously there were some veteran guards, so it was different not knowing how many minutes I’d play,” Koenig said. “I understood, but as a competitor it always bothers you when you’re on the bench. With Coach [Bo] Ryan you really have to earn your spot and your minutes. So I tried to do the best I could to earn as many minutes as I could.”

He famously chose to stay in his home state, passing up offers from Duke, UNC and Kansas, and the decision obviously paid off with a trip to the Final Four during the Badgers’ 16th straight appearance in the Big Dance in his first season.

Starting guard Ben Brust was the only key contributing member of last season’s squad to graduate, and the void his departure leaves, opens the door for Koenig to put his yo-yo handle, distributing ability, silk shot and lightning-quick feet defensively on display. When Koenig was back home in La Crosse, WI, this summer he said he worked hard with his trainer who he described as, “a martial arts kinda guy.”

Koenig’s main focus was strengthening his core in order to improve his flexibility, mobility, endurance and balance. He mentioned having some back issues the first several months of his freshman year, and after playing a season off the bench in the Big Ten, building a stronger core was a necessity for him to take a step forward in flourishing under coach Bo Ryan.

To keep his skills on the court sharp while he was at home, he linked up with longtime western Wisconsin rival and current Iowa State shooting guard Matt Thomas for some one-on-one.

“They were a little one-sided, I got the better of him most games,” Koenig laughed.

Now physically stronger, more experienced and with a small taste of postseason glory, Koenig is ready to aid the Badgers in maintaining their stay among the elite teams in the country filling a larger role this season. The senior Jackson returns at starting point guard, while redshirt senior Josh Gasser also returns in the backcourt, so it remains to be seen whether Koenig will play the bulk of his minutes this year on or off the ball. He’s confident he can do both.

“The coaches and I talked after last season, but I’ve set pretty high expectations for myself now that Ben Brust is gone,” Koenig said. “I have more confidence in my game, so hopefully I can bring that over into every game. Obviously now that I have a year under my belt, I’ll be better scoring and on defense taking charges, doing some of the little things more.”

NBA prospects Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, along with returning Big Ten sixth man of the year and First-Team Big Ten All-Frosh forward Nigel Hayes, give the Badgers one of the most formidable frontcourts in the country. Whether it was during summer workouts back in Madison with the squad, or these past few weeks as Badgers are on the brink of another season, Koenig noticed a distinct difference between last offseason.

“We’re more motivated,” Koenig said. “Being so close to a National Championship, we’re just motivated to do any little thing we can. Our strength coach always says that we have to be willing to do what other teams aren’t. We’ve been working very hard in the offseason, and it’s definitely going to show once we get on the court.”

***

Koenig may have been able to take last season’s experience on the court to hit his offseason training running, but Georgia Tech’s Travis Jorgenson wasn’t able to go full-speed until a few weeks ago.

The Columbia, MO, native arrived in Atlanta by way of New Hampshire after playing his senior season at New Hampton. The 6-footer cracked Brian Gregory’s Yellow Jackets rotation from the get go thanks to the quintessential floor general qualities he possesses, and averaged close to 20 minutes a game.

During Tech’s fourth game against Dayton, he tore the ACL in his right knee and was forced to redshirt following surgery.

“I was just getting my feet wet, and getting in the rotation which was pretty cool,” Jorgenson remembered. “Then the injury came which was unfortunate, but it was four games in so I got the medical redshirt. So that was a positive because if it came later I would’ve lost a year (of eligibility).”

Aside from being able to keep a year of eligibility, another silver lining from his injury came in his preparation for his redshirt freshman season.

“I just feel a lot more mentally prepared, and ready, this year than I did last year,” Jorgenson said. “Just being around watching practices, watching games and seeing gameplans helped me realize what it will take to be successful.”

Known for his excellent court sense, and a nasty handle, Jorgenson said he was able to start shooting around six months after his surgery. He said he focused on fixing some mechanics on his shot, striving for more consistency with repetition in order to improve that part of his game.

Since being cleared to go full-speed with his teammates a few weeks ago, Jorgenson claimed his command on the point guard position suffered no ill effect of the year off.

“When I’m out there I feel like my feel for the game is right back where it was,” Jorgenson said. “I didn’t have any clue what to expect. I’m happy with where I’m at, but I’m not where I want to be so I have to keep working every day.

“All I’m trying to focus on is going in every day ready to work, and doing everything I have to. Then I’ll keep treating my knee making sure it’s fresh for the next day, so I can keep getting better the next day.”

Since most of his time was dedicated to getting healthy, strengthening his knees and getting back into shape during the offseason, Jorgenson’s day-to-day progression the remainder of the preseason and beyond could be integral to the success of the Yellow Jackets.

Last year’s starting point guard Trae Golden graduated, so Jorgenson is in the midst of trying to earn minutes among a handful of other guards.

“I haven’t talked with [the coaches] about playing time or anything like that,” Jorgenson said. “I feel like I should get some minutes, but we’ll see what I can do in the next few weeks in practices. It will all depend on how well my knee holds up and how well I perform.”

Tech fans got to see a small sample size of how well he can perform, but assuming all goes well health-wise they will get to see a point guard whose presence can help improve upon last year’s 16-17 season and exclusion from the NCAA Tournament.

“I can control the game a little bit,” Jorgenson said modestly. “I get guys the ball where they need to get it. I try to push the tempo, take care of the ball, get guys in the right spots and hit open shots. So I try to help the team out in that way.”

The Yellow Jackets haven’t made an appearance since 2010, and are picked to finish toward the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference this season by a variety of publications in effectively meaningless pre-season polls.

Jorgenson is ready to do his part in helping Georgia Tech prove itself, all the while proving himself as a high-major point guard.

“That’s something we’re aware of, and I definitely feel like we have something to prove,” Jorgenson said. “But the good thing is that once they throw the ball up and the season starts none of that matters. Other teams will have to earn a win just as much as we do. I’m excited to go out there and compete.”

***

A pre-season stress fracture in his leg that crept into the first portion of last season, and then the stomach flu, led Duane Wilson to decide to redshirt during last season at Marquette after not suiting up for any games early on.

The debut of one of Milwaukee’s finest, and back-to-back state champion at Dominican High his junior and senior year, was put on hold.

But Marquette fans will get their first look at Wilson in a Golden Eagles uniform this year, and potentially some lobs to sophomore dunk machine Deonte Burton who joined Wilson as high profile recruits for former coach Buzz Williams from Milwaukee in the Class of 2013.

Both Wilson and Burton were part of the recent wave of high-major talent coming out of the state of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee-based NY2LASports founder Antonio Curro has had a front row seat. NY2LASports tournaments field some of the top club teams, and players, from around the country every spring and summer—and getting local high-major players to stay home is always big.

“It’s important anytime Marquette or Wisconsin can land an in-state talent because you want to protect your home base first,” Curro said. “Duane is a product of the city, so for Marquette to get him obviously was huge—especially with getting Deonte too. You got to see flashes of Deonte’s explosive athleticism and power, and what he can bring to the table (last season). Duane will big for them at some point. It’s just big they were able to keep those kids in the city.”

Though Williams, who recruited Wilson and Burton, took over at Virginia Tech, Wilson still could shine under first-year coach Steve Wojciechowski. Returning starting point guard Derrick Wilson and graduate transfer from BYU Matt Carlino figure to be ahead of Wilson in the rotation to start the season, but whether it’s this season or over the course of the following three, Curro anticipates Wilson bringing an element to the court that had Milwaukee folks hoping he’d choose to stay home and play at Marquette.

“Duane’s always had a knack for hitting big shots,” Curro said. “He always elevates his game when it matters the most. There’s a reason he won two straight state championships. He just brings a lot of leadership to the court, and understands the game. The other thing is that he hates to lose, and any time you have a point guard who hates to lose that’s an asset because that rubs off on the other players. You can’t teach that.”

***

Koenig, Jorgenson and Wilson are just three of many point guards in their second seasons on their respective campuses having learned the value of patience during their first college hoop fans will end up needing to get acquainted with.

Point guards such as Kansas’ Conner Frankamp, UCLA’s Bryce Alford, Xavier’s Brandon Randolph, Missouri’s Wes Clark, Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson and North Carolina’s Nate Britt figure to see a spike in minutes this year compared to their true freshmen seasons last year.

Perhaps Oakland’s Khalil Felder, whose 6.4 dimes per game ranked him atop any true freshman point guard and seventh in the country, will continue to show he can hang with any point guard from a power conference.

The level of your point guard’s play can directly impact your team’s success in March.

Now it’s just about time to see which lead guard continues to emerge toward the top.

On the heels of a big junior campaign at De Pere (WI), and a breakout spring with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, 6-4 guard Brevin Pritzl gave Bo Ryan and the University of Wisconsin a verbal commitment toward the end of May.

Pritzl, who already had some mid-major programs tracking him following last summer, averaged 20.9 points in the winter and earned First-Team All-State honors. But when he put his offensive arsenal on display in the spring, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette and the Badgers all offered.

He committed to his state school before that list of high-major offers could swell—not just because of civic pride, but due in large part to the track record the Badgers staff sports of developing players.

“I really liked Wisconsin because I’ve always been a Badger fan, and I like their academics a lot,” Pritzl said. “I know (Badger walk-on) Aaron Moesch, and just playing open gym with him I can see how much he’s developed. I can’t wait to see what they do with my game.”

Offensively, Pritzl possesses a quick, smooth and compact stroke on his shot and has been burning the nets from three-point land at each of the Playground Warriors’ stops on the club circuit. While he will most likely settle into a role spacing the court as a three-point threat once he arrives in Madison, he brings much more to that end of the court.

At the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational, which concluded Sunday, Pritzl also displayed a nice mid-range game by knocking down pull-ups off the bounce driving to his right as well as his left. But it’s not quite accurate to call his left his off-hand.

“When I was younger I was ambidextrous,” he said. “I can shoot left-handed, like a normal jump shot, because I’ve sprained my wrist a lot. I had to find a way to score so I’ve worked on that. I also used to go left a lot when I was post player when I was younger, so it’s always been there.”

The Playground Warriors advanced to the semifinals of the NY2LA Sports Next Level Invitational in suburban Milwaukee before the Milwaukee Spartans knocked them off. During pool play, Pritzl capped a 22-point performance against Minnesota Basketball Academy with a game-winning bucket with six seconds remaining in overtime to break a tie.

Though he can finish above the rim, he took what the defense gave him to keep his squad unbeaten up to that point.

“I had just scored by splitting a double (team) the play before,” said Pritzl, who dropped 30 in the tourney-opener. “So I figured if I could set (my defender) up, I might be able to find a different way to score. I went with a floater, which is surprising, because I don’t do that too often—but it came in handy when I needed it.”

Hundreds of college coaches fill the bleachers during the live evaluation periods in July across the country, and with the loaded NY2LA Sports Summer Jam tipping off Wednesday back in Milwaukee, the Badger-bound Pritzl is hoping he can continue playing at a high level so some of his teammates can get looks from Division I programs.

“To me, getting seen is all about winning because then you’ll play better teams,” Pritzl said. “So I try to get everybody else involved. Sure I hit that last shot, but we needed that to keep winning. So for me it’s all about winning so they can keep getting exposure.”

In a blog post, Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky called playing college basketball at Wisconsin “the pinnacle of my basketball playing career,” and called out the NBA—particularly the Charlotte Bobcats—for looking “flat out boring.”

Kaminsky announced his intention to stay at Wisconsin instead of declaring for the NBA Draft last week, despite being a projected late first to early second round pick.

Via ESPN:

“I am at the pinnacle of my basketball playing career, at least in my eyes. I know the NBA has their crazy fans and all, but if you look at all of their games, there are games when teams like the Bobcats get hardly any fans, and it looks flat out boring,” he wrote.

“At the Kohl Center, we play in front of nearly 17,000 fans every single time we step onto the court. When we travel, we play in front of sell out crowds who absolutely hate us. Not because of who is on the team, but because of where we go to school. Who could leave that?”

Kaminsky officially announced his decision to return to school last week, but he used his blog post to explain his thinking in making that decision.

Kaminsky did say in his blog post that he has aspirations to play in the NBA, partly because he’s broke, saying, “I know I am going to college and pursuing my degree free of charge, but it comes to a point where you are tired of being broke. I hate looking in my bank account at the end of the month and seeing $20 left in there. The appeal of potentially a lot of money would entice any collegiate athlete, or any college student for that matter.”

On Saturday in Arlington, TX, inside a massive 80,000-seat stadium normally occupied by the Dallas Cowboys, four excellent basketball teams will compete in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

They are nominally the best teams in the country right now. UConn, Florida, Kentucky and Wisconsin are the last men standing; they have survived a brutal single-elimination tournament and all the madness of March. They have played their best basketball when it matters most.

And now these four teams will compete for a shot at a national title, the biggest game on the NCAA’s grandest stage: Monday Night.

First we have No. 1 Florida versus No. 7 UConn—the muscular interior play and sturdy defense of the Gators against the quicksilver guards of the Huskies’ backcourt, the nation’s best. Then the nightcap: No. 2 Wisconsin versus No. 8 Kentucky, a matchup of two very different coaching styles—Kentucky and its NBA-ready freshmen, all the talent in the world, will look to slow down Wisconsin’s finely-tuned offensive machine.

We can expect the usual circus in North Texas.

There will be pageantry, net-cutting and a finely-rehearsed production. The media hordes will cover Arlington like a plague. There will be endless commercials during timeout breaks. In all likelihood there will be poor shooting –especially in the first halves—because it’s damn hard to shoot baskets in a drafty football arena when you’re accustomed to a gym.

That’s all fine, though. It’s just part of the experience, the exclamation point at the end of a marathon season. Might as well go out with a bang.

Yet beyond all the money and marketing, the Final Four is ultimately, and rightly, about the players involved. The coaches are great, to be sure, the public faces of the sport—but fans always remember the players.

Names are made here. Legacies are secured.

Who will be the man this year? Who’s going to score 30, or hit that legendary game-winning jumper? I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out.

No. 1 Florida (36-2) vs No. 7 UConn (30-8)

AT&T Stadium, Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EST

How They Got Here

Top-seeded Florida was an odds-on favorite to reach the Final Four, and the Gators didn’t disappoint. They struggled to find their best form against Albany in the second round but still won easily, 67-55. They cruised by Pitt, a familiar rival, then bounced a very good UCLA team 79-68 in the Sweet 16, setting up a date with tournament darling Dayton. The 11-seeded Flyers had already knocked off Ohio State and Syracuse, so they didn’t fear Florida. But the Gators came to play. Center Patric Young controlled the block, point guard Scottie Wilbekin scored 23 points and the Gators knocked out the Flyers 62-52.

UConn’s run was much less predictable. The Huskies squeaked by St. Joseph’s in overtime, bested 2-seed Villanova 77-65, and defeated a very talented Iowa State squad in the Sweet 16. Last weekend UConn faced 4-seed Michigan State, a team many experts picked to win the whole thing. The Huskies had other ideas—slippery point guard Shabazz Napier cranked out 25 points, forward DeAndre Daniels went for 12 and 8, and Connecticut punched its ticket to the Final Four. The Huskies were 21-22 from the free throw stripe in that game, by the way.

Go-To Guys*

Florida

Patric Young – The 6-9, 240-pound senior is built like a piece of steel, with long arms and skills to boot. His size, experience and rebounding ability give Florida a big edge in the low post. Averaging 10.8 points and 6.2 boards per contest this season, Young has stepped up his game in the NCAA Tournament. Young’s looming presence on the low block last weekend helped Florida get past Dayton and into the Final Four.

Casey Prather – Another big-time forward in the Gators’ frontcourt, Prather is the team’s leading scorer at 13.8 ppg. Efficiency and high-percentage shots are Prather’s trademark—he’s shooting around 60 percent from the field this year.

Scottie Wilbekin – As Wilbekin goes, so go the Gators. The 6-2 senior runs the show on offense, averaging more than 13 points and 3.7 assists per game this season. He was brilliant against Dayton, running the floor, dissecting the Flyers’ defense. With sneaky handles and vision for miles, he’s the man to watch when the Gators have the ball.

UConn

Shabazz Napier – UConn’s senior point guard might be small in stature—6-1 (generously), 180 pounds—but nobody has a bigger heart. The Roxbury, MA, native has that tough city-style game—the silky dribbling skills, the lightning-quick drives to the rim, the range from deep. He can break down a defender one-on-one or hit the step-back jumper. With four years of college ball on his resume, he’s learned to draw fouls like nobody else in the tournament. And, probably most importantly, he can make all the right reads off the high ball screens that UConn runs so well, often finding his teammates with beautiful cross-court skip passes.

‘Bazz averages about 18 points per game, and he’s exploded over the past two weeks—24 against St. Joe’s, 25 against Villanova, 25 versus Michigan State on Sunday. Napier’s play has drawn comparisons to Kemba Walker’s incendiary performance in the 2011 tournament. He’s the leader of these Huskies, without a doubt. But can he follow in Kemba’s footsteps and bring a title back to Storrs? (For more on ‘Bazz, check out this great piece from SLAM’s Peter Walsh.)

DeAndre Daniels – A crucial piece of the Huskies’ lineup, Daniels provides some size and skill in the UConn frontcourt. He will have to keep pace with Florida’s talented bigs if UConn hopes to win Saturday. Daniels should be up to the task—the 6-9 junior has been terrific in this tournament. His best game was March 28 versus Iowa State, when he posted a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double.

What To Watch For

Florida is long, strong, fast and deep. They have a coach in Billy Donovan who knows how to win National Championships. It’s very hard to score on the Gators, and they have plenty of big bodies that can crash the boards.

But UConn is playing with an edge. Napier is all but unstoppable right now, the Huskies don’t miss free throws, and coach Kevin Ollie has this team swarming the ball on the defensive end of the floor. The backcourt matchups should be fascinating, especially the Wilbekin-Napier contest, a battle between two of the most competitive kids in the country.

This should be an excellent game between two experienced, well-coached clubs. My gut says Florida wins this thing; I think it’s the better team from top to bottom. If Shabazz gets going, though, and if UConn gets some additional scoring from Daniels, guard Ryan Boatright or 6-7 swingman Niels Giffey, the Huskies could very well pull off the “upset.”

One more juicy note: With an overall record of 36-2, Florida hasn’t dropped a game since Dec. 2—a 65-64 loss to UConn.

Bold Prediction: Florida 56, UConn 50

***

No. 2 Wisconsin (30-7) vs No. 8 Kentucky (28-10)

AT&T Stadium, Saturday, 8:49 p.m. EST

How They Got Here

Wisconsin’s road to the Final Four was a bumpy one. It struggled against a sharpshooting Oregon team in the third round (but rallied); stomped Baylor in one of the more impressive offensive showings of the entire Tournament; and beat Arizona 64-63 in the Elite Eight, in somewhat controversial fashion. Big Frank Kaminsky was brilliant against the Wildcats, scoring 28 points and tracking down 11 rebounds.

Kentucky, somehow, transformed itself over the last month or so. It became the team we all thought it would be at the beginning of the season, when the Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the polls. Come NCAA Tournament time, Kentucky was ready to dispatch Kansas State, undefeated Wichita State and Louisville, the defending national champs. In the Elite Eight, young Aaron Harrison knocked down a three-pointer with just a few seconds left in the game to beat Michigan 75-72.

Go-To Guys*

Kentucky

Julius Randle – This young man is a future NBA lottery pick, and for good reason. The 6-9, 250-pound freshman is arguably the finest forward in the country, averaging 15.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. He’s a one-and-done, an elite physical specimen, but it’s his skill set that sets Randle above the rest. Ball-handling, shooting, interior footwork, passing—he can do it all, with the strength and physicality of a pro.

It’s fun to watch him work on the block. He beats defenders with quick spins, short jumpers or simple hard work. And boy, does he crash the glass for those all-important rebounds.

If Randle’s game is on, good luck beating Kentucky.

Alex Poythress – On this team, sophomores are the old men on the roster. Poythress is 6-8, 239 pounds, and he will be a critical player as the Wildcats look to contain Wisconsin’s multi-talented big men. Poythress doesn’t score a ton of points, but his size, experience and rebounding skills will be much-needed in this game.

Aaron Harrison – A big (6-6), talented guard, Aaron is one-half of Kentucky’s vaunted Harrison twins combo. He’s been extremely clutch of late, hitting big shots when the Wildcats need them most. None was bigger than the last-second three-pointer he knocked down against Michigan, the shot over a defender’s outstretched hand that sent Kentucky to the Final Four. Harrison is a big-time scorer, playmaker and long-distance shooter. If Kentucky needs a bucket late, look for him to take the shot.

Wisconsin

Frank Kaminsky – With every big shot, the legend of “Frank the Tank” continues to grow. Earlier this season, I thought Kaminsky was merely a nice piece of Bo Ryan’s offense, while Sam Dekker or Ben Brust would be the real scoring threats. I did not foresee—who did?—the ascendance of Frank Kaminsky.

At 7-0, 234 pounds, averaging 14.1 points and 6.4 boards per game, Big Frank is a walking matchup problem. The junior is a stretch-5, if such a position actually exists. He shoots the three-ball with devastating accuracy, passes extremely well and commands double-teams on the low block. To watch him work in the post is to watch a man with nearly limitless options—up-and-under, drop step left or right, shot-fake-and-drive, jump hook, etc., etc. Kaminsky scored 28 points on Saturday against Arizona; he dropped 19 on Baylor in Sweet 16. When the big man is flowing, the Wisconsin offense is all but un-guardable.

Sam Dekker – Wisconsin’s second-most dangerous player has been a little quiet in the Tournament, but don’t let his numbers fool you. Dekker is a tall, versatile forward with a surplus of skill; a guy who can stretch the floor or finish near the rim. He’s only scored 7 points in his last two games, largely deferring to Kaminsky and others, but he’s due for an offensive explosion.

Traevon Jackson – Perhaps the most important player on this Badgers team, Jackson is Wisconsin’s only true ball-handling guard, and he makes the offense go. Turnovers just aren’t his thing—he’s always in control, finding the open man, initiating Bo Ryan’s intricate sets. The savvy junior is a clutch late-game scorer, but he’s most effective spearheading the offense and getting his shooters good looks at the rim.

What To Watch For

Two very different coaches with very different philosophies will square off in North Texas. John Calipari is the one-and-done guy, the master recruiter who hordes All-Americans and wins National Championships with them. His teams are always long on talent and short on experience, and this year’s Kentucky squad is no exception.

Bo Ryan is all about the Wisconsin system, the ongoing development of a player from freshman to sophomore to junior. Most of his kids aren’t going to the NBA, and that’s fine with Bo. They stick around for three or four years and, like Frank Kaminsky, sometimes develop into a special kind of player.

Stylistically, Kentucky leans on its superior athleticism, its ability to break down defenders and its rebounding. Randle is a beast. Wisconsin plays pretty good defense, no doubt, but it’s the offensive end where the Badgers really shine. They’re an excellent passing team, good screeners, deadly with the shot fake. Kaminsky toys with defenders.

My questions for this game: Can Wisconsin defend the powerful Wildcats, particularly Randle and the Harrisons? And can Kentucky find any solution for Kaminsky and Badgers’ offense?

After last night’s slate of NCAA Tournament games, the Florida Gators and the Wisconsin Badgers are moving on to college basketball’s final weekend.

In the first game of the night, the No. 1 seeded Gators took down the No. 11 seeded Dayton Flyers, 62-52. Senior guard Scottie Wilbekin led the gators with 23 points.

The game was rarely in doubt for Florida. The Gators raced out to an early 7-2 lead, and while the Flyers responded — even taking a 21-20 lead with 6:43 left in the first — Florida stepped on the gas to end the half. The Gators ended the first half on an 18-3 run to take a 38-24 lead into the locker room, which was capped off by a three from NBA range by Wilbekin just before the horn.

The second half was much of the same, as Florida constantly kept Dayton at arm’s length. The Flyers were unable to get within 8 points of the Gators, and despite getting outscored in the half, Florida was able to get out of the South region with relative ease, winning every game by double-digits.

In the night’s second game, the No. 2 seeded Badgers took down No. 1 seeded Arizona in an overtime thriller, 64-63, behind a monster night by big man Frank Kaminsky. The junior shredded the Wildcats for 28 points and 11 rebounds, and scored 6 of Wisconsin’s 10 points in overtime.

The Wildcats led for the entire first half, scoring the first 5 points of the game. While the Badgers frequently got the score down to a one-possession game, they were unable to take the lead. Behind 8 first half points from sophomore center Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizon took a 28-25 lead into the locker room.

Wisconsin was able to tie the game at 34 just before the under-16 minute media time out, and the two teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the half. Neither team led by more than 5 points during the second half, and with 36 seconds left in the game, Arizona freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson threw down a tip slam to tie the game up at 54. After Wisconsin’s Traevon Jackson was unable to hit a game winner during the team’s final possession, the game went to overtime.

The Badgers took the lead with a three by Ben Brust 1:05 into the extra frame, and led for the rest of the game. Arizona cut Wisconsin’s lead to 1 point with a minute remaining, but neither team was able to score in the game’s final 60 seconds, and Wisconsin advanced to the Final Four as the champions of the West region.

The remaining Elite Eight matchups will take place later today. The games will begin at 2:20, when No. 4 Michigan State takes on No. 7 UConn in the finals of the East region. Then, at 5:05, No. 2 Michigan will take on No. 8 Kentucky for Midwest region supremacy.

Well basketball fans, it’s already late January and the season is moving right along. These past few weeks we’ve been treated to some first-rate conference matchups, some big-time games between ranked foes and vivid scenes from packed gymnasiums all over the country. Despite the freakish polar vortex, despite the ceaseless snow storms in the Midwest and Northeast, die-hard hoops fans still showed up and cheered on their teams. Hey, there’s no better place to warm up than a basketball arena packed with 10,000 fans. The Week in Review has been absent these past few weeks, but now it’s back in force with a special 1.5-week extended edition, a kind of conference-game vortex.

Glancing at the scores and the standings, perusing the Top 25, a few things caught my eye.

First of all, the best conferences in the country—the Big Ten, Big 12, the Pac—are doing what they always do this time of year: beating the crap out of each other. The college basketball season spreads itself out over five grueling months, November to March. To succeed in the hyper-competitive realm of Division I hoops, teams must not only win games but also stay healthy. If a decent team can survive the gauntlet of conference play intact—and, ideally, improve little by little throughout the year—it stands a good chance in the conference tourney and beyond. As we’ve seen time and again, anything can happen in March… you just have to get there, and your roster has to be in pretty good shape.

Here are a few thoughts on the Top 10 teams in the country, according to the AP:

1. Arizona

The Wildcats are 18-0 and fresh off a 23-point drubbing of Arizona State. The scariest thing about this team? It’s still getting better.

2. Syracuse

The boys from upstate New York are defensively adept, offensively potent and coached by one of the greatest of all time. Oh, and the Orange are still undefeated.

3. Michigan State

Always solid, always well-coached, the Spartans will vie for a conference title again this year. If Keith Appling plays his best ball, MSU could be Final Four-bound. Huge game against Michigan this weekend.

4. Villanova

The surprise team of the season thus far. Nobody thought the Wildcats would be this good, but here they are at No. 4 and 16-2. Jay Wright is consistently overlooked as one of the top coaches in the nation. He’s good, and so’s his team (kindly overlook that Creighton blowout described below, which was certainly an anomaly).

5. Wichita State

The Shockers are among the most complete teams in the country, and still undefeated at 19-0 (they took care of Illinois State on the road Wednesday). Inside, outside, the Shockers defend and pass and shoot the ball extremely well, and CleAnthony Early is a pro. It’s very possible, with Creighton now in the Big East, that Wichita State will run the table in the slightly down MVC.

6. Florida

Billy Donovan’s Gators are 15-2 and could be the best team in the SEC. Looks like a two-horse race in the Southeast between the Gators and Kentucky, but after a few questionable performances from the Wildcats, I’d say Florida is the conference favorite. Just to emphasize that statement, the Gators chomped a weak Georgia team by 22 points last Tuesday then traveled to Auburn and secured a 7-point W.

7. San Diego State

This team is much better than most people realize. This season the Aztecs have beaten Creighton (a win that keeps looking better and better), Marquette, Washington and Kansas, and their only loss was against Arizona back in November. Most recently they hammered San Jose State 75-50. Would you want to face the Aztecs in any round of the NCAA Tournament? No, you would not.

8. Kansas

Look out, people, the Jayhawks are figuring things out. Kansas has beaten four ranked teams in its last four games: Kansas State, Iowa State in Ames, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Granted, three of those games were in the friendly confines of the Phog, but Bill Self has this team turned around and headed toward a conference title. KU is playing more fluid offense, staunch defense and is using its athleticism to get easy points. Andrew Wiggins may not be an elite scorer, but he’s a fine all-around ballplayer (his defense has been especially good of late) who has seemingly bought into Self’s selfless system.

9. Wisconsin

The Badgers have returned to Earth with a few recent Big Ten losses. They got knocked around a little bit, but they’re still littered with sharpshooters and fun to watch. If Wisco is hitting shots and grabbing the lion’s share of the rebounds, the Badgers can beat anyone in the conference. Don’t write them off just yet.

10. Iowa

It gives me great joy to see my beloved Hawkeyes in the Top 10. Iowa had won three conference games in a row before dropping a tough road game at Michigan on Wednesday night (see below). Deep, skilled and gritty in the post, the Hawks are hunting for a conference title this season, and they just might get it.

So that’s how the Top 10 shakes out, in my view. Now let’s get rolling on this week’s recaps.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Colorado 57, No. 1 Arizona 69

It seems every time Arizona steps on the floor the Wildcats are markedly better than their opponent, and Thursday night was no exception. ‘Zona was up big at the half, 39-24, but the Buffs are a resilient Pac-12 foe and they kept chipping away in the second frame, taking advantage of some poor perimeter shooting from the Wildcats to keep the game fairly close. At home, though, Arizona is all but unbeatable, and without leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie (injured and out for the season) the Buffaloes didn’t have the firepower to really challenge the ‘Cats.

Nick Johnson scored 18 for Arizona, Brandon Ashley had 15 and freshman forward Aaron Gordon chipped in 12. Xavier Johnson scored a game-high 21 to lead Colorado.
Arizona didn’t have a great second half, and it was only three-15 from behind the arc. No matter. Stingy defense, strong play from the talented Johnson and a big home court advantage allowed the Wildcats to stay undefeated against a dangerous, if wounded, Buffaloes squad.

No. 6 Florida 68, Alabama 62

Alabama isn’t know for it’s home court advantage, but the Crimson Tide faithful were fired up Thursday for a SEC showdown with surging Florida in Tuscaloosa. Trevor Releford, a great little guard who doesn’t get much national recognition outside of SEC country, ran the show for Alabama and collected 14 points and 4 assists. But the Tide, without second-leading scorer Retin Obasohan (out with a strained hip flexor), couldn’t hold back the Gators and their timely outside shooting.

Florida’s Michael Frazier III was on fire in this one, racking up 18 points and hitting 5 three-pointers. At one point in the second half, with Alabama hanging around, Frazier hit two threes in a row to give the Gators a comfortable margin. The Crimson Tide pulled within five with just over a minute remaining, but Florida knocked down its free throws and secured its fifth SEC win.

The Gators are 16-2 and flexing some muscle in the SEC.

No. 9 Wisconsin 68, Minnesota 81

Wednesday was a big night for college basketball, highlighted by this Big Ten matchup at The Barn in Minneapolis. Richard Pitino’s Gophers earned a big home win against a Wisconsin team that has revealed a few weaknesses in recent days.

Minnesota led from start to finish, behind 18 points apiece from DeAndre Mathieu and Mo Walker. The Gophers like to run-and-gun, and Mathieu can really move, slithering into tight spaces to get off high-percentage shots. And Walker, who lost 60 pounds last summer according to the AP, simply overpowered any Badger assigned to check him.

“We’ve got very good chemistry. When things are clicking, it’s tough to overcome,” Pitino told the AP. “I think these guys truly believe that the whole is greater than the parts.”

Sharp-shooting Sam Dekker registered 20 points and 6 rebounds for the Badgers, who only shot 5-20 from three-point range—a departure from their normally high long-range percentage. Part of the problem was Frank Kaminsky, the best three-point shooter in the conference, was saddled with early foul trouble and couldn’t play his customary minutes.

Minnesota had no trouble scoring the basketball in its home barn—the Gophers shot nearly 59 percent from the field.

Wisconsin, which started the year 16-0, has lost its last three games.

No. 10 Iowa 67, No. 21 Michigan 75

Another big Wednesday night tilt in the Big Ten. Nik Stauskas scored 26 points to lead the surging Wolverines past a talented Hawkeyes team in Ann Arbor. It was Michigan’s eighth-straight victory.
With Stauskas raining shots, Glenn Robinson III using his explosive athleticism around the rim, and little Spike Albrecht (remember ole Spike, from last year’s title game?) running roughshod down the court, Iowa had all it could handle from the Wolverines, especially on their home floor. Robinson finished with 14 points, while the quick-handed Albrecht racked up 7 points, 7 dimes and 4 steals.

Sixty-seven points is a low total for this year’s Iowa Hawkeyes, who would prefer to score in the high 70s or 80s. Iowa didn’t shoot all that badly (47.2 percent from the field) but only hit 2-10 from three-point territory, a big part of their offensive attack. Michigan fired a whopping 27 three-balls and hit 8 of them; Stauskas was personally 4-9 from behind the arc. Statistically it was a very even game.

Aaron White and Melsahn Basabe scored 17 points apiece for Iowa.

No. 13 UMass 55, Richmond 58

A big upset in the A10 on Wednesday as the Spiders took down the talented Minutemen. Richmond guard Kendall Anthony, all of 5-8, knocked down his first four three-point shots and just kept cruising, finishing his night with 21 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. Umass’s own diminutive and dynamic guard, Chaz Williams, was bottled up for much of the evening and only scored 8 points (2-11 shooting), a testament to the Spiders defense.

Still, it was close in the end. Late in the second half with Richmond leading, Sampson Carter and Cady Lalanne scored for UMass to make the score 55-53. Then Cedrick Lindsay, normally Richmond’s top scorer, made three critical free throws in the final minute to steal the game for the Spiders.

No. 22 Kansas State 64, Texas 67

Longhorns forward Jonathan Holmes knocked down a corner three-pointer at the buzzer to give Texas a three-point victory over Big 12 rival Kansas State on Tuesday.
With three seconds left, following a timeout to set up the play, Texas’s Isaiah Taylor found Holmes in the corner. Covered by two defenders, he rose and fired. Swish.

“I just caught it and shot it,” Holmes told the Associated Press.

This was a tight ballgame for all 40 minutes. Texas center Cameron Ridley battled his counterpart Thomas Gipson for much of the night, both men working hard in the post and scoring plenty of points—Ridley with 18, Gipson with 24.

Ultimately Holmes’s heroics won the game for Texas, but it easily could have gone K-State’s way.

The Longhorns are now sitting at 15-4 (4-2) and could be a sleeper for that elusive Big 12 title.

Creighton 96(!), No. 4 Villanova 68

We’ve known for a while now that Creighton shoots the long ball exceptionally well, but rarely has there ever been a three-point fusillade like the one the Jays fired on Monday. Creighton went 21-35 from behind the arc, an eye-popping 60 percent. The Jays shot better from three-point land than from the field as a whole (56.9 percent).

At one point in the first half, Creighton was up by 28 points. Ethan Wragge went bananas, hitting 9 three-pointers and finishing with 27 points. It was simply nutty.

Yea, anytime you hit 9 three-pointers in one game, you get Player of the Week Honors. Wragge scored 27 points in the Creighton absurdity described above. Eight of those threes, by the way, came in the first half. Teammate Doug McDermott told reporters that he wasn’t surprised by Wragge’s outburst; the kid often shoots better than that in practice.

Wragge’s 9 shots tied a record set by Kyle Korver back in 2003. Nice work, Mr. Wragge.

GAMES I’LL BE WATCHING

No. 21 Michigan vs No. 3 Michigan State, Saturday, 7:00 EST

A great in-state matchup between two conference rivals.

No. 4 Villanova vs Marquette, Saturday, 2:00 EST

Can the Wildcats rebound after a tough loss with a win over Marquette?

Texas vs No. 24 Baylor, Saturday, 1:30 EST

Coming off a nice win over Kansas State, Texas travels to Baylor for a Big 12 shootout.

Xavier vs Providence, Saturday, 12:00 EST

Two unranked teams that you might find in the Top 25 by season’s end.

Utah vs No. 1 Arizona, Sunday 8:00 EST

Utah is good, but the Wildcats look impregnable. Can the Utes make it a game?

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW (January 12-18)

Since we couldn’t get a recap in last week, I decided to include these matchups today. Yes, it’s a little dated, but these games were noteworthy and fun, so I cherry-picked a few for your reading pleasure.

No. 3 Wisconsin 72, Indiana 75

The Hoosier faithful stormed the floor last Tuesday night as unranked Indiana knocked off then-No. 3, undefeated Wisconsin in Bloomington, a season-saving win for Tom Crean’s crew. Dynamic Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell caught fire in the second half, scoring on layups, three-pointers and pretty midrange jumpers, sometimes falling away from the basket, sometimes slipping into the lane, planting a foot and launching a smooth pull-up. He finished with 25 points on the night, 19 of which came in the second frame.

Wisconsin had a chance to tie the game late when Ben Brust launched a three-pointer from the corner that missed badly. Brust, perhaps thinking he had less time than the 5 seconds remaining on the clock, forced the shot and Indiana secured the rebound. Game, Hoosiers.

“To the team, it means a great deal,” Crean told the AP. “To me, the team needs this [win]. It’s amazing what happens when some real confidence starts to come.

In addition to Ferrell’s performance, the Hoosiers got some help from the always-energized Will Sheehey (13 points, 6 boards) and freshman guard Stanford Robinson (an unexpected 13 points). Indiana shot 51.6 percent from the field and our-rebounded the Badgers 33-28 in an all-around well played game.
Wisconsin wasn’t bad, either. Led by Traevon Jackson and his 21 points, Wisconsin shot 53 percent from the field (and about 30 percent from three-point land).

The Badgers are no longer undefeated, but they’re still among the nation’s elite teams. The Big Ten, as always, will be up for grabs this year.

No. 13 Kentucky 85, Arkansas 87

A wild one down in Fayetteville. With about 2 seconds left on the clock, Andrew Harrison, wide open on the wing, knocked down a three-pointer to tie the score at 74 and send the game to overtime.

Then, in the waning moments of the extra period, Kentucky scrambled to corral a loose rebound and found James Young at the top of the key, who calmly stroked a three-pointer and tied the game 85-all. Arkansas guard Rashad Madden dribbled up-court, stopped and fired a wing three-pointer that missed a little long and a little left, bouncing high off the rim. Charging in from the opposite side of the court, no one blocking him out, Michael Qualls leapt for the ball and slammed it home with two hands just as the buzzer sounded. Crazy play, crazy conference win for the Razorbacks.

“Crashing the boards in that type of situation is the best time to crash the boards,” Qualls told the AP. “I just saw an opportunity and took it.”

Qualls and Madden scored 18 points apiece for the Razorbacks. Qualls added 5 rebounds to his stat line, including 3 offensive boards. On the Kentucky side, swingman James Young played an excellent 23-point, 6-rebound game, while freshman man-child Julius Randle added 20 points of his own.

Kentucky and its talented roster are now 12-4 on the season; Arkansas, surprisingly, has the exact same record.

Butler 60, No. 20 Creighton 88

Yea, Creighton is pretty tough at home. On paper this looked like a great game—the Butler Bulldogs, a decent squad this season with a legacy of defensive tenacity and tough-mindedness, versus Creighton and the Fightin’ McDermotts. Sadly it was over by halftime Tuesday, and the Jays coasted to a 28-point victory over a brand new Big East rival.

Star forward Doug McDermott scored 28 points to lead all scorers. Creighton is a favorite for the Big East title; Butler, however, is in the midst of a five-game losing streak and trending down.

St. John’s 75, DePaul 77

My late grandfather was a DePaul alumnus, so naturally we root for the Demons here. Any Big East victory for DePaul is cause for celebration, and this was a good win over a Johnnies squad that—frankly—is underachieving this season. Billy Garrett Jr. led the Demons with 21 points.

After an impressive 14-0 start, ISU has dropped its last two conference games. The Cyclones were outmuscled on the glass in this one, 53-36; ISU doesn’t have much size up front and it showed. It also shot the three-pointer much less efficiently than it normally does (just 4-25 from behind the arc). Adding to Iowa State’s troubles, top scorer DeAndre Kane is still battling an ankle injury he suffered on Saturday against Oklahoma.

As for the Jayhawks, well, just when we were all set to write them off, Bill Self has this team motivated and playing its best ball of the season.

No. 20 Iowa 84, No. 3 Ohio State 74

At last, my beloved Hawkeyes beat a quality Big Ten team on the road! Roy Devin Marble, one of the best all-around ballplayers in the conference, scored 22 points for Iowa. Forward Aaron White chipped in 19 and Melsahn Besabe racked up 11 points and 10 rebounds for a Hawkeyes team that finally closed the deal on a marquee win. According to the AP, it was Iowa’s first win over a Top 5 team since 2001, and it came one week after Iowa had Wisconsin on the ropes in Madison but couldn’t ice the game.

Ohio State logged an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers on Sunday, including several key miscues in the second half. The Buckeyes have now lost two conference games in a row—last week’s loss at Michigan State being the first—and have since dropped out of the Top Ten.

PLAYER OF (LAST) WEEK: Tre Demps, Northwestern

Northwestern hasn’t had a great year so far, but the Wildcats scored an impressive Big Ten victory over a ranked Illinois squad last Sunday in Evanston, 49-43. Tre Demps scored 11 points for the Wildcats, which seems fairly average at first glance—until you factor in when he scored most of those points. He knocked down three three-pointers in three minutes (almost poetic, isn’t it?) late in the second half, building up a lead the Wildcats wouldn’t relinquish. Well done, Mr. Demps, a fine showing. You are the Week in Review Player of the Week.

There is a chance that at least five of the eight teams in next year’s field will be ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.

The participants were set prior to the formation of the new Big East, meaning Georgetown and Butler will likely be put in opposite brackets. Tournaments have dealt with this in the past year. For instance, Creighton and Marquette, two other Big East teams, were put on opposite sides in last week’s Wooden Legacy tournament.

The tournament, which began in 2011 in Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas, has featured some of college basketball’s best teams, including UConn in 2011, Louisville and Duke in 2012 and Kansas, Iowa and Villanova in 2013.

Going into yesterday’s game against North Dakota, junior big man Frank Kaminsky was averaging 8.7 points per game for the 11th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

After his 43-point outburst, Kaminsky is now leading the team with 17.3 points per game.

Kaminsky, a 7 footer out of Illinois, set a new school record and had the highest scoring output in the NCAA this season with his performance in the Badgers’ 103-85 victory. He went an absurd 16-19 from the field, 6-6 from three and 5-6 from the free throw line in 28 minutes.

Kaminsky, fresh off a 16-point, eight-rebound performance at UW-Green Bay, entered the night averaging 3.2 points in 70 games at UW, including 8.7 in the first three games this season. He raised his scoring average to a team-best 17.3.

“In the first half they let him roam the three-point line,” said sophomore forward Sam Dekker, who added 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. “But we drove and kicked and found him. He was spotting up and hitting.

“He was scoring back to the basket, face-up, three-point shots.”

His performance shattered his former career high of 19 points, which was set last year against Illinois.

Former University of Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor will start his professional career in Italy, signing a contract with Italian Euroleague team Virtus Roma. Taylor, who is represented by former NBA point guard BJ Armstrong, last played for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Summer League. During his senior season in Madison, Taylor averaged 14.8 points and 4.1 assists per game, leading the Badgers to the NCAA East Region Semifinals before being eliminated by Syracuse. In the past, Virtus Roma has featured players such as George Gervin and current Milwaukee Buck Brandon Jennings.

In its first game since falling to UNLV on Saturday, No. 5 North Carolina held off No. 9 Wisconsin for a 60-57 win a home.

Despite the victory, it was still a challenging night for the Tar Heels as Wisconsin controlled the pace from the tip. North Carolina was held to just 25 points at the half and took only 45 shots, 19 less than Wisconsin in the game.

But while most of the Tar Heels’ offense was off (just two players scored in double figures), Harrison Barnes outplayed his preseason All-American counterpart Jordan Taylor in the win. Barnes, who was playing with a sprained right ankle. finished with 20 points, 14 of which came in the second half, while Taylor had 18.

The killer instinct that was lacking at times for Barnes last season was on full display Wednesday night.

For the Winston-Salem Journal:

“I just wanted to get us back in the flow of the offense,” Barnes said. “I thought we were stagnant. I just tried to get some points on the board. I thought it could be a game-changer there if we could go on a run.”

The Tar Heels will move from one top-10 team to another when they travel to Lexington to face No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday. The Wildcats, who have won every game by double-figures this season, fell to the Tar Heels by two points in Chapel Hill a season ago, but knocked them off in the regional final, 76-69.

Barnes earns his second straight spot on the team. A year ago, the North Carolina forward was the first freshman ever voted on. While Barnes averaged 15.7 ppg, he didn’t come on strong till the end of the season, influencing his decision to return.

The only unanimous selection to the team was Sullinger. A National Player of the Year candidate a year ago, the Ohio State forward returned to Columbus after averaging 17.2 ppg and 10.1 rpg.

Taylor, is the lone senior on the team. Wisconsin’s returning leader in points, rebounds and assists, Taylor is also the only natural guard on the team.

The final two members, Jones and Lamb, both met in the Final Four last April. It was Lamb’s Connecticut team that prevailed over Jones and Kentucky, eventually also winning the national title. The two sophomores have tall tasks ahead of them as Jones will be asked to provide leadership to a young Wildcat squad, while Lamb will be filling the shoes of Kemba Walker as his team’s go-to scorer.

Temple was able to get the Aztecs to play at a much slower pace than they were used, holding them to just 18 points in the second half. The Owls scored the final five points to end regulation and force overtime.

In the first extra session, San Diego State’s Kawhi Leonard awoke after scoring just six points in regulation. The sophomore scored the first four Aztec points to keep his team in the game. After a Malcolm Thomas free throw to tie the game at 61 with close to two minutes remaining, neither team scored again and they headed to a second overtime.

During those final five minutes, Leonard scored another six points and the Aztecs were able to pull away and win by seven.

While others might be shocked to see San Diego State in the Sweet 16, it is no surprise to its coach.

From the Arizona Republic:

“We’ve got a good team; we find different ways to win,” San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. “We did that again tonight.”

Fisher has been telling everyone this all week, as if not everyone is convinced. His message: You don’t win this many games by accident. He’s right, the Aztecs are good. But they’re a different type of good. They’ll never shoot anyone out of the gym. At times, their best offensive play is simply to miss and get the rebound.

After never winning an NCAA tournament game before this season, the Aztecs now have two under their belt. Their first ever trip to the Sweet 16 will be a date with Connecticut.

A few hours later on the same court, Kansas State, the last team before San Diego State to win a double-overtime game in the NCAA tournament, could not advance to its second straight Sweet 16 as it fell to Wisconsin, 70-65.

The Badgers survived a monster performance from the Wildcats’ Jacob Pullen. The senior guard scored 38 points and set the Kansas State career-scoring record in the process. However, he missed a crucial free throw late in the game that could have tied the score for the Wildcats.

Pullen had one last chance to tie the game on a 3-pointer but his shot was blocked by Jordan Taylor. The defensive play made up for a disastorous offensive performance for Taylor, who shot just 2-for-16 from the field. Taylor did, however, dish out six assists on the evening, several of which went to Jon Leuer, who led all Badgers with 19 points.

Wisconsin now advances to the Southeast regional where it will face Butler for a chance to go to the Elite Eight.

The Southeast has some quality competition, led by the Pittsburgh Panthers. Who do you see making the trip to Houston? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Ohio State had a chance to avenge its first loss of the season Sunday while also wrapping up the regular season on a high note, and they did both in impressive fashion as the Buckeyes made 14-straight 3-pointers to blow past Wisconsin, 93-65.

After Jon Diebler missed the team’s first attempt from beyond the arc, the Buckeyes did not miss for the rest of the game from long range. Diebler hit 7-of-8 attempts and finished with 27 points. The 14-of-15 as a team was the best day in Division I history.

While Diebler and his teammates were draining from downtown, Jared Sullinger was making his final push for National and Big Ten Player of the Year. The freshman sensation tallied 22 points and 8 rebounds. He finishes the regular season averaging 17.3 ppg and 9.7 rpg.

The win was also special for Sullinger because it was his response to an incident after the first Wisconsin game.

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Sunday wasn’t that hard to explain, though. After losing at Wisconsin, the Buckeyes were mad, more peeved than they would admit, especially Sullinger, who said he was spit on after the loss. That led to Ryan’s “All I know is, we won the game; deal with it,” quote two days later when asked about the incident, which led to 1,400 “Deal With It” rally towels in the student section Sunday and a special Wisconsin-themed pregame video created by Ohio State that ended with “Deal With It.”

Both Sullinger and Ryan claimed they didn’t see the towels. But in college basketball, emotion matters.

After finishing the regular season 29-2, Ohio State has essentially locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, regardless of what happens this week. The Buckeyes will begin the Big Ten tournament on Thursday when they will face the winner of Northwestern and Minnesota.

Despite trailing by 15 points with just over 13 minutes remaining, the Badgers battled back, using the 3-point shot to get themselves back in the game. Wisconsin hit 12-of-24 from long distance, five of which came from Jordan Taylor, who finished with 27 points and 7 assists. Over those final 13 minutes, Taylor had 21 points and 4 assists.

It was the national breakout party for Taylor, who was quietly averaging 17.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 4.7 apg before Saturday’s game.

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

UW coach Bo Ryan’s advice was to frame Taylor’s performance because it, like the victory, was one for the ages.

“I don’t think there’s too many players in the country that have ever done (that) — not just this year but at any time — against the No. 1 team in the country,” Ryan said. “And they earned the No. 1. It isn’t early in the season. It’s not November or December. Ohio State worked their way to that spot and they’re a very good team.”

Ohio State’s loss opens the door for another team possibly taking over the top ranking on Monday. Kansas, Texas and Pittsburgh all had impressive wins over the weekend, making their claim for No. 1. However, the Buckeyes still have as good a case as any with their only loss coming by four points in a tough road enviornment. Regardless, those four teams along with Duke appear to be the national title contenders.

Josh Gasser had never had 10 rebounds or 10 assists in any collegiate game. In fact, he’d only scored 10 points twice. But on Sunday, he put it all together for the first triple-double in Wisconsin history.

Gasser finished the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, as the Badgers routed Northwestern 78-46. In his previous two games, he combined for 4 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists.

The breakout performance had the rest of the Badgers in awe of the freshman.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“For him to do that, that is unbelievable,” UW senior forward Jon Leuer said. “First one in school history, as a freshman.

“He is only going to get better.”

It is hard to imagine a better performance by Gasser or by UW (15-4, 5-2), which solidified its hold on third place and moved within a game of second-place Purdue (17-3, 6-1) and two games of first-place Ohio State (20-0, 7-0).